Apology Accepted
by pekori
Summary: A pleasantly typical walk home from school suddenly becomes nightmarish with the invasion of Kyou's least favorite cousin.


Author's Note: Eh?! A non-Ouran fic?! Yes, it's true; I possess the amazing ability to write for other fandoms! This is a short little ficlet that I wrote as a challenge for my friend. The idea was to choose one of my journal icons, and then I would write a story for it. The one she chose was a picture of considerably younger Momiji, Haru, and Kyou, with Kagura charging and ready to glomp Kyou (as usual). It was taken straight from the manga, so maybe you remember it? Maybe not. Either way, I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer and Acknowledgements: _Fruits Basket_ was created by Natsuki Takaya and definitely not licensed by myself. Therefore, the following is a work of fiction using characters that are not my own, and no harm nor profit is meant or made by publishing this.

* * *

"Kyooooou-kuuuuun!" 

Things happened in slow motion as Kyou turned to see Kagura bounding after him, arms outstretched. He didn't even have time to react before impact.

Little Momiji's face lit up, the lingering baby fat on his cheeks only intensifing the look of excitement he wore. Of course, it did keep him looking considerably underaged to be nearly finished with his fourth year of elementary school. "Kagura-san is finally here!"

"I think that's a bit of an understatement, Momiji," Hatsuharu noted, though mildly disinterested in the situation. There was a bit too much noise for him after such a long day at school.

"Kyou-kun, I've missed you so much! How was your day at school? Did you learn a lot? What did you do today? Did your presentation go well?"

"Kagura! Get off of me!" Kyou was irate, but understandably: At present, Kagura had him pinned in the grass alongside the walkway the trio had been following to go back to the Souma main house. They had just made it to the crossroads, which had Kyou confident that he wouldn't have to see Kagura at all today. Normally if she didn't show up before he had to part from Haru and Momiji to head for Shishou's dojo, he was free. If only he had been so lucky.

Haru was quick to intervene. "Momiji, come on. You'll be late for your violin lessons if we don't hurry."

"But what about—"

"He was about to head in the other direction anyway. Besides, she's nothing he can't handle." Haru took no protesting and hooked an arm through Momiji's to pull him from the scene. "Usually, anyway."

That was the last thing Kyou heard from Haru, and it didn't exactly empower him. Still, he summoned all of the might his ten year old body could muster and gave one hard shove to Kagura. It worked, and her grip was easily broken just before she flew back, landing hard on her rear just in front of Kyou. It was more than enough of a break for him to scramble to his feet and start running. He knew he would need the headstart.

"I don't think so, Kyou!" She was charging. Kyou could hear her footfalls on the dirt going at least twice the pace of his own. He wouldn't be beaten so easily, though, and focused everything in him on moving just a bit faster. If he could just make it around the first bend, Shishou would be within earshot and would come to his rescue.

There was no time at all between Kagura catching up and Kyou's face colliding with the dirt. The back of his head was throbbing and if his mouth didn't taste like sand he might've thought he was dead. Although, he knew that in only a few moments he was going to wish the first blow had killed him.

Kyou managed to roll out of the way of the first punch, which put a considerable crater in the dirt where his chest had just been. "Kagura! What the heck is wrong with you?" His shouting was in vain as far as halting her attacks, but he hoped that the wind might carry his voice to Shishou. Whether it would or would not remained to be seen, but Kyou was left far too bruised and broken to care after only a few short moments. Unsurprisingly, as it happened this way every time, Kagura stopped at the precise moment Kyou thought he wouldn't be able to take anymore.

"Kyou-kun! You're bleeding!"

He was struggling to his feet, furious that she could possibly say something so obvious. "No kidding, you stupid girl!" he shouted, his hackles raising. Kagura reached for Kyou again — this time to comfort him — but he was quick to move away, though winced at the stinging of the dirt in his scrapes. "Leave me alone, would you?"

"But...Kyou..."

"Go home! You're such a pain in my—"

"That's quite enough, Kyou," a voice interrupted. Kyou had been so busy yelling at Kagura that he hadn't heard anyone approaching.

"Shishou!" he cried, his face brightening to match the lightness in his voice. Finally, he was rescued.

"Apologize to Kagura-chan. You've said some very unkind things to her."

Kyou's face went blank, and he could only stare at his caretaker, completely dumbfounded. "Shi...Shishou, you can't..."

"I am very serious, Kyou." The small boy with the tangerine hair still didn't look to the girl who only moments before had been trying to pulverize him. It took few more long moments of the staredown with his beloved Shishou before he bedgrudingly turned to Kagura. He didn't make eye contact and he more mumbled his words than spoke them, nearly leaving it completely up to the imagination to figure out whether he had apologized or not.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Kagura."

"It's okay, Kyou-kun!" Kagura replied quite cheerfully. Then she leaned in and gave a forgiving kiss to Kyou's cheek — though he had thought for certain that she was about to land it on his lips. The thought of that more than the actual act brought a rather fierce shade of red to his face and Kagura didn't stick around to find out whether it was rage or embarrassment that caused him to flush that way.

"Come along, Kyou. You are late for your lessons."

Kyou didn't argue and simply came quietly. He figured that, eventually, Shishou would explain that there was some lesson of humbleness or forgiving to be learned from his apology, but right now he was just too angry to ask any questions.

And maybe a little too embarrassed that his first kiss had almost been from a silly girl like Kagura.

* * *

_Fin._


End file.
